Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford discussed the future of his bandmate Glenn Tipton in Judas Priest.
Ten years ago, Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He still remains a member of the band but had to step down from touring due to the disease.
During a new interview with The Guardian, the singer was asked about his bandmate and whether or not he would be joining the upcoming tour. Halford responded to how Tipton has been doing:
“He’s doing extraordinarily well considering that he’s been living with Parkinson’s for 15 years. He’s such a strong man. It’s like any of these challenges, a lot of it is borne by how you fight back, and he fights back all the time. I love that people still understand his importance in Judas Priest – his input on this new album, ‘Invincible Shield,’ is as it has been on all the records. Glenn and Ozzy [Osbourne] keep in touch. They’re both cut from the same cloth with that British ‘get on with it’ type of thing. I don’t mean to speak against other identities but there’s this thing about blokes and dignity, an extremely powerful word in what it represents – my dad was the same – and they are really strong in battling on.”
While he provided an answer to the questions about an album and his health, the Judas Priest rocker did not particularly state whether or not Tipton would take part in the tour.
Tipton’s Reaction To Parkinson’s Diagnosis
Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease over a decade ago, although he had been experiencing symptoms for at least five years prior to the diagnosis. In early 2018, he announced his decision to step back from touring activities in support of Priest’s ‘Firepower’ LP. His role was filled by Andy Sneap, the producer of the ‘Firepower’ album, who is also known for his work with NWOBHM revivalists Hell and thrash outfit Sabbat.
In his first interview since publicly revealing his condition in early 2018, Tipton spoke to Guitar World magazine about his diagnosis, saying:
“It was upsetting, but I wasn’t really shocked because I sort of thought it was Parkinson’s. I probably hoped it wasn’t, but the doctor confirmed it.”
Tipton’s Latest Reunion With Judas Priest
At the Power Trip festival in Indio, California, on October 7 last year, the band welcomed guitarist Tipton back on stage. This reunion marked another instance over the past five and a half years where Tipton joined Priest for the encore, delighting fans with performances of ‘Metal Gods,’ ‘Breaking The Law,’ and ‘Living After Midnight.’ Prior to Priest’s set, Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ played as the intro, followed by a graphic displayed on the video screens announcing the band’s latest album, ‘Invincible Shield.’
You can hear ‘Invincible Shield’ below.
